%^ 



■^fM^ 



■^-^l) .VERSES i kI'^' 



KOMMER 




Rook 0S2 US' 

COFYRICliT DEPOSm 



XHnptetentious Detees 



A Book of Po ems 



By 
J. THURLOW KOMMER 




Philadelphia 
Robert E, Lynch's Son 
Publishers 
1911 






Copyrighted 191 1 

by 

J. THURLOW KOMMER 

Germantown, Philadelphia, Penna. 



%y^ 






THIS LITTLE BOOK 

IS DEDICATED TO ONE WHOSE 

LIFE WAS TO ME AN INSPIRATION, 

AND WHOSE MEMORY, AFTER A LAPSE OF 

EIGHTEEN YEARS, IS AS SWEET 

AND FRESH AS THE BREATH 

OF FLOWERS. 

/Dp /iDotber. 



preface 

These " Unpretentious Verses " were written at 
intervals extending over a period of some seven or 
eight years, and are simply the result of an intense 
longing to express one's self in verse. Sometimes 
while travelling in the cars, sometimes while wait- 
ing for lunch, or whenever a leisure moment could 
be snatched from the busy hours of an active career, 
these verses were created. As the title implies, 
the author makes no pretense to any literary stand- 
ing and therefore hopes for a lenient criticism. 

J. T. K. 



^able of (Tontentg 



PART ONE. 

MOTHER AND HOME. 



PAGE 

Since Mother Went Away 3 

The Laughter of a Child 4 

Swinging in the Long Ago 5 

A Lasting Debt 6 

An Unforgotten Voice ... 7 

The First-born ^ 

My Mother's Face 9 

A Sacred Spot lo 

If Mother Knew Ii 

The Sweetest Love 12 

Sleepy Town 13 

Thanksgiving IS 

Somehow or Other . 16 

vii 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



PAGE 

The Uncertain Span 17 

Home is Where the Loved Ones Are 18 



PART TWO. 

VOICES OF NATURE. 

Buttercups 21 

The Soul of the Sea 22 

The Old Year .... 24 

The New Year 25 

Sunset 26 

Moonlight 27 

Nature's Faithfulness 28 

Space 29 

The Seasons 31 

The Penobscot 32 

In Tune with Nature 33 

Summer 34 

God in Nature 35 

Autumn ... 36 

The Woods in Spring 37 



PART THREE. 

THE AFTER LIFE. 



The Pilot 41 

At Eventide 42 

The Rainbow 43 

The Night is Dark 44 

Past, Present and Future 45 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The Eternal Morn 46 

The Day of Days . . 47 

Home at Last ... 48 

The Trail of Life . 50 

In the Harbor 51 

The Pilgrim's Friend 52 

Grieve not for Me 53 

Immortality 54 

Here and There 55 

'Tis Best to Think of Days to Come 56 

The Chimes of Hope • ■ 57 



PART FOUR. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 



The Value of a Smile 61 

The Best Deeds 62 

Forget the Past 63 

The Power of Thought 64 

Versicles 65 

The Gospel of Good Cheer 66 

Love Eternal 67 

The Victor 68 

The Better Way 69 

The Monarch 70 

Learn to Wait 71 

When Love is the Harper 72 

Delay Not 73 

The Call of Love 74 

Life and Death 75 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Optimism 77 

The Man for the Times 78 

In the Morning 79 

A Retrospective 80 

One Woman's Love 81 

The Grim Destroyer 82 

Evil Voices 83 

A Love Song 84 

The Shadowy Land of Dreams 85 

Molly K 86 

Waiting for the Fish to Bite 88 

Helen 89 

When Love Rules 90 

Inquisitiveness 91 

When We Were Boys Together 92 

PART FIVE. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The Pure Garment 95 

Two Men 96 

Sunshine and Shadow 97 

We Thank Thee 98 

The Darkened Glass 99 

Perfect Peace loo 

Emmanuel loi 

The Web of Life 102 

Procrastination ' • • . . 103 

The Divine Helper ; 104 

A Christmas Thought 105 

A Human Cry 106 

X 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PARE 

In Hoc Signo Vinces 107 

The Christ 108 

Life no 

Contentment iii 

Alone With God 112 

Confidence 113 

The Only Way 114 

Is it Nothing to You ? 115 

The Soul's Desire 117 

The Realms of Faith 118 

Silent Prayer 120 

The Thought of God 122 

Watching Over All 123 



PART I. 
^otbet anO Tttomc, 

Be it near or be it far, 

Home is where the loved ones are. 



Unpretentious Verses 



SINCE MOTHER WENT AWAY. 

The old home seems a different place 

From what it used to be ; 
'Twas once the dearest, sweetest spot 

In all the world to me; 
But she who made it so has gone, 

With other friends to stay. 
The old home seems a different place 

Since mother went away. 

And she has gone for good, ah me ! 

'Tis hard to think it true ; 
Another home has welcomed her 

Beyond the sky of blue ; 
And we must do without her here 

For many a weary day ; 
O ! how the old home seems to change 

When mother goes away. 



3 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE LAUGHTER OF A CHILD. 

Nature's sweetest gift of grace 
Is a child with laughing face. 

For the laughter of a child 
Is like music, weird and wild. 

Like the tinkling of a bell 
In an unfrequented dell. 

Merrier than the huntsman's horn 
At the breaking of the dawn. 

Like the rippling of a wave 
In a lone enchanted cave ; 

Or the rustling of the leaves, 
Answering to the summer breeze. 

Sweeter than the sweetest words. 
Lovelier than the song of birds. 

Heaven itself is oft beguiled 
With the laughter of a child. 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SWINGING IN THE LONG AGO. 

To and fro, to and fro, 
O how gently do we go. 
Swinging in the long ago ; 
Hear the children shout and sing 
As they wait a turn to swing. 

To and fro, to and fro. 

Sometimes high and sometimes low, 

Swinging in the long ago ; 

What delightful memories cling 

'Round that dear old-fashioned swing. 

To and fro, to and fro, 
Mother calls and we must go, 
Swinging in the long ago ; 
But the swing keeps swinging on 
Others come when we are gone. 

To and fro, to and fro, 
On the swing of life we go. 
Thinking of tlie long ago ; 
Love's old swing is swinging slow 
Some One calls and we must go. 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



A LASTING DEBT. 

All that the future holds for me, 

In this life or another, 
All that I am or hope to be 

I owe it to my mother. 

If there are evils I have missed, 
Or sins that I've forsaken , 

Her gentle voice it was that called 
The man in me to waken. 

If I have helped some other man, 
Some weak and struggling brother, 

I did it in the strength of love, 
The love that followed mother. 

And any good I may possess, 
That calls for commendation. 

The debt of gratitude I owe 
To mother's ministration. 

So while this busy life shall last, 

And mayhap in that other. 
My grateful heart shall strive to pay 

The debt I owe my mother. 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



AN UNFORGOTTEN VOICE. 

When the busy day is over, 

And the west is tinged with red; 
When the twihght falls around me, 

And the stars are overhead — 
Then old memories awaken voices 

That were silenced years ago, 
And I hear the voice of mother 

Speaking to me sweet and low. 

When I pass within the shadow 

Of the slumberland of rest. 
When the shroud of mystery folds me, 

And I dream of all the blest — 
Ah ! those unforgotten voices. 

How they fall upon my ear, 
And above them all, so clearly, 

Mother's voice I still can hear. 

When the day of life is over. 

And there comes the evening star; 
When I pass the Golden Gateway 

To the wonderland afar — 
How my anxious heart shall listen, 

As I near the white-robed throng, 
For the voice of that dear mother, 

More than all the angel song. 

7 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE FIRST BORN 



Safely folded to her breast 
Is the long-awaited guest ; 
All her anxious fears are gone 
For to her a child is born. 

From the vale of gloom and death 
She has brought a living breath ; 
And the wonder in her eyes 
Tells of joy and glad surprise. 

Here is joy that puts to shame 
Every joy that mortals claim : 
Love that is akin to love 
In the heart of God above. 

With her child upon her breast 
Mother is supremely blest : 
Eden never knew a bliss 
More divinely sweet than this. 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



MY MOTHER'S FACE. 

I see it now, that face so dear, 

'Tis on my memory traced ; 
Time cannot cause to disappear 

The vision of her face. 
I see it in my waking hours, 

I see it in my dreams, 
And fairer than the fairest flowers 

Its beauty to me seems. 

I see the look of sympathy 

From eyes grown bright with love ; 
The look that meant so much to me 

As with the world I strove. 
The look of kind approval, too. 

That helped me to be strong; 
The look of sadness when she knew 

That I had done the wrong. 

The smile that cheered my broken heart 

I see it still to-day : 
How often did it joy impart 

And chase my gloom away. 
O ! precious memories of the past 

Find in my heart a place ; 
Till I shall see in Heaven at last 

My mother's blessed face. 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



A SACRED SPOT. 

O, let me kneel just here, 
Just here where mother knelt ! 

That I may feel within my breast 
The joy that mother felt. 

Then, let me linger here. 
The while my heart is sad. 

That to my troubled soul may come 
The peace that mother had. 

This dear and sacred spot 
To me is hallowed ground ; 

For here I find the friend I need, 
The Christ that mother found. 



lO 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



IF MOTHER KNEW. 

If mother knew how you have strayed 

And from the good departed, 
How you have left the narrow road, 

And all your manhood bartered ; 
Ah, me ! I'm sure her tender heart 

Would be all torn and bleeding, 
If she could see, through all her tears, 

The kind of life you're leading. 

For, when you left her years ago. 

To follow fortune's beckoning. 
Your eye was clear, your hand was strong. 

And in her way of reckoning 
She little thought that time would mar 

The child that she had nourished ; 
The boy whose life was more to her 

Than all else that she cherished. 

But, oh ! how you have changed since then ; 

Your eye has lost its glitter; 
Your face shows many a scar of sin 

And life is hard and bitter. 
Ah, yes! 'tis well she does not know! 

Good God ! reveal it never : 
The knowledge of her son's disgrace 

Hide from her eyes for ever. 

II 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE SWEETEST LOVE. 

The sweetest love in all the world, 

And equaled by no other, 
Is such as stirs the heart and life 

Of a devoted mother. 

A love that labors ceaselessly 
To make some burden lig-hter, 

That works without a thouoht of ,^ain 
To make some life the brio^hter. 

A love that never, never tires, 

And never groweth weary ; 
That finds the fullness of its joy 

In making life more cheery. 

Unselfish in whate'er it does, 

And asketh but this token. 
The answering- love from other lives 

Revealed in deed or spoken, 

O ! for a love like mother's love ! 

Be this my constant pleading ! 
O ! for a love like mother's love ! 

'Tis what the world is needing. 



12 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SLEEPY TOWN. 

When shadows of the evening fall, 
And night spreads darkness over all, 

When comes the closing of the day, 
And little folk are tired of play — 

A marching host of great renown 
Tramps on its way to Sleepy Town. 

All uniformed in robes of white, 

With candle-torch to give them light : 

A mother's kiss to urge them on, 

A sweet "Good-night," and they are gone: 

Up ! up ! the wooden hill they go, 

For Sleepy Town's up high, you know. 

Ere long the quiet town they gain. 
Where needed rest they may obtain ; 

But ere they pass within its gates 

Each white-robed pilgrim, kneeling, waits 

To ask the Shepherd King come down 
To guard the host of Sleepy Town. 

And now, 'tis silent as the grave ; 

You hear no sound of voices, save 
The sound of mother's nursery clock 

In measured tones — "Tick-tock, tick-tock" ; 



^3 



UNPRETENTIOUS, VERSES 

No childish noise is heard to drown 
The faithful clock in Sleepy Town. 

But when the sun peeps o'er the hills, 
And with new life all nature thrills, 

When twittering bird and songster gay 
Proclaim the waking of the day, 

The marching host of great renown 

Comes tramping back from Sleepy Town. 



14 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THANKSGIVING. 

For country and for flag, 

For Freedom's blood-washed soil, 
The land our fathers loved 

And hallowed by their toil ; 
For this dear land, with freedom ringing, 
We render thee a glad Thansgiving. 

For home and fireside, 

A refuge and retreat ; 
For all the sacred ties 

Of kin, and friendship, sweet ; 
For home, with all its love-light gleaming, 
We ofifer Thee a glad thanksgiving. 

For church, and liberty. 

To worship as we will ; 
For faith in all the good 

And power to shun the ill : 
For all the joy of holy living 
We render Thee a glad thanksgiving. 



15 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SOMEHOW OR OTHER. 

Somehow or other you can tell, 

As day by day he meets you, 
What sort of man your neighbor is 

Just by the way he greets you ; 
The way he looks you in the eye, 

Your searching glance returning; 
The way he takes you by the hand, 

And how he says "Good morning." 

Somehow or other you can feel 

A sympathetic tingle. 
Both in the hand-shake and the voice, 

As now and then you mingle ; 
A something indescribable, 

Beyond the power of telling; 
The mystic touch of soul with soul, 

Inviting or repelling. 

Somehow or other when you pass 

To other scenes and places, 
And leave behind you friends of yore 

And old familiar faces, 
Both you and they shall still recall, 

In strange and wondrous measure, 
The greetings in the days gone by 

With either pain or pleasure. 

i6 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE UNCERTAIN SPAN. 

Between the child of youthful days 

And yonder aged man 
There lies a world of changing years, 

A vast, uncertain span. 

And he who starts to cross the bridge, 

'Twixt early life and late. 
Must be prepared for weal or woe. 

For grief or bHssful state. 

For who can know, or who can tell 

What lies beyond his gaze, 
Beyond the curtain that divides 

To-day from future days? 

But at the end of every life 

There lies some cherished goal ; 

Who reaches it must strength possess 
Of body, mind and soul. 



17 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



HOME IS WHERE THE LOVED ONES ARE. 

Be it near or be it far. 

Home is where the loved ones are. 

For without love's burning flame 
Home is nothing but a name. 

But where love's pure light doth shine 
There's a brilliancy divine ; 

And the meanest spot on earth 
Is a paradise of mirth. 

For a home where love is leaven 
Is the highest type of heaven. 

Whether near or whether far, 
Home is where the loved ones are. 



i8 



PART II. 
Voices ot mature. 

All nature seemeth fair 

When faith inspires the view ; 
Naught with her can compare 

To charm our souls anew. 



»9 



UNPRKTENTIOUS VERSES 



BUTTERCUPS. 

Peeping up above the sod, 
See how merrily they nod ! 
Little pilgrims sent of God. 

O, what multitudes untold 
Stand arrayed, like queens of old, 
In rare garments green and gold. 

Scattered over hill and vale 
In a wondrous golden trail, 
Dancing in the faintest gale. 

But how quickly do they pass, 
Hiding faces 'neath the grass, 
Like some bashful little lass. 

Will they ever lift again 
Faces bathed in sun and rain, 
As a maiden fair and vain? 

Yes, when twelve months have gone round, 
Once again, all sweetly gowned. 
Buttercups will strew the ground. 



21 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE SOUL OF THE SEA. 

I stand beside the ocean shore, 

While thought crowds thought yet more and more, 

And as I watch thy ceaseless roll 

I feel that thou, too, hast a soul. 

A soul that stirs thee at its will, 
For thou art never, never still. 
Oh ! restless sea, "twixt man and thee, 
How strong a bond of sympathy! 

For thou art tossed by wind and storm. 
Thy bosom by the tempest torn ; 
Forever o'er thy trackless waste 
The elements in fury haste. 

The surging, seething, foaming wave 
Uplifts itself as from a grave: 
The lightning's flash, the thunder's roll 
Wake all the voices of thy soul. 

Thou seemest like a demon's child, 
Now maddened by a spirit wild. 
Lashed into fury by the gale 
Thy soul lifts up its mournful wail. 

Deep down within the human breast 
There dwells the spirit of unrest, 

22 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 

And often o'er the troubled life 

Come storm and tempest, rage and strife. 

When passions dark gain mastery, 
When demons gloat in hellish glee, 
The soul in fearful anguish torn 
Alourns as the sea when in a storm. 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE OLD YEAR. 

He'll soon be gone, for even now 
The marks of death are on his brow ; 

And we stand watch with listening ear, 
Like friend with friend whose end is near. 

The old year now is dying ! 

The joys he brought, the sorrows, too, 
Though they be many or be few, 

Will like the year but shortly last 
And soon be memories of the past. 

The old year now is dying. 

Farewell old year ! Farewell to thee ; 

Thy wearied soul shall soon be free ; 
And we stand watch with listening ear, 

Like friend with friend whose end is near. 
The old year now is dying. 



24 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE NEW YEAR. 

He'll soon be here ! and we shall greet 
The sprightly tread of youthful feet ; 
And we wait with listening ear, 
The coming of the glad new year. 
The new year is approaching. 

What he shall bring us no one knows ; 
Or what shall leave us 'ere he goes ; 
His gifts from all are kept concealed 
And in good time to each revealed ; 
The new year is approaching. 

Then welcome to the glad new year ! 
We hail thy coming with good cheer ! 
Like friend for friend we waiting stand 
To greet thee with an outstretched hand. 
The new year is approaching. 



25 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SUNSET 

When I look out across the fields 

To where the sun is sinking, 
The glory of that wondrous scene 

Sets all my heart to thinking, 
And wondering — if away beyond, 

In some far distant evening, 
There can be sight as grand and fair 

As when the sun is leaving. 



26 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



MOONLIGHT. 

The last faint glow of the setting sun 
Has faded into gloom ; 
While darkened skies 
The light defies, 
Proclaiming now it's doom. 

O'er all the earth falls the infinite shroud 
Of an impenetrable night. 
All Nature's blue 
Has changed its hue, 
Departed is the light. 

The vast expanse of the circling heavens 
Is studded thick with stars ; 

The garment worn 

By earth, and adorned 
With glints of diamond bars. 

The scurrying clouds in their rapid flight, 
Unveil the silvery moon ; 

It surely seems 

That all its beams 
Are borrowed from the noon. 

The Earth once more, from its sombre shade, 
Transformed by her pallid light, 
Glows with the ray, 
As if the day 
Had visited the night. 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



NATURE'S FAITHFULNESS. 

The sun shall never cease to shine 

As long as time remains ; 
Nor clouds shall e'er withhold from earth 

Their life refreshing rains. 

The Summer's heat, the Winter's cold, 

Shall in their time prevail, 
And each its mission shall fulfill, 

Nor shall they ever fail. 

The streams shall reach the boundless sea, 

Nor ever lose their way. 
The mountains raise their peaks toward heaven 

Till the heavens shall pass away. 

The seed that dies beneath the ground 

Shall once again revive ; 
The blade, the stalk, the ripened fruit 

In order shall arrive. 

With what precision Nature works, 

And settled law obeys ; 
Who will may valued lessons learn 

From all her faithful ways. 



28 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SPACE. 

Boundless infinitude! Immeasurable! Immense! 

Beyond the reach of human thought 
Or finite man's pretense. 

Encircling- all, and still by none encircled thou ; 

Through ages all a mystery ; 
No less a mystery now. 

Deeper than any depth ; higher thou than all ; 

In length outreaching every length, 
Embracing great and small. 

Before the worlds were framed, or time began its 
sway, 
Thou wert and ever will remain 
When these shall fade away. 

Eternal, like the God whose might has peopled 
thee 
With wondrous worlds and blazing suns 
In vast immensity. 

Throughout thy spacious realms and o'er thy 
trackless way, 
The mightiest atom ever formed 
May travel on for aye, 

29 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 

A million miles, to thee, is but the merest span, 

And thine is distance far remote, 
Unmeasured yet by man. 

Incomprehensible ! Ever a mystery ; 
The wonder still of conscious souls 
Throughout eternity. 



30 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE SEASONS. 

I love the Springtime with its showers, 
Its dreamy haze and fragrant flowers ; 
I love in solitude to stray 
Along some violet covered way, 
And while away the happy hours. 

I love the Summer with its glee, 
Its verdant fields and leafy tree ; 
I love to linger 'neath the shade 
By overhanging branches made, 
And catch the song of bird and bee. 

I love the Autumn brown and sere, 
The herald of the closing year; 
The Autumn, with its fruit and grain, 
Made ripe by Summer sun and rain 
And garnered in with grateful cheer. 

I love the Winter's mighty blast 

Whose breath has chained the rivers fast; 

Whose hand spreads o'er the earth below. 

The mantle white, of spotless snow, 

That covers field and forest vast. 



3t 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE PENOBSCOT 

O ! beautiful Penobscot ! New England's charm- 
ing stream ! 
Thy glories are deserving a worthier poet's theme. 

For as we sail thy waters, or view thee from the 

shore, 
A thrill of admiration steals through us o'er and 

o'er. 

Thee nature seems to favor with many a changing 

scene ; 
Sometimes a rock-bound pathway, sometimes 

through fields of green. 

Along whose banks, like sentinels, the pine and 

fir trees rise ; 
While here the birch and cedar outline the glowing 

skies. 

When gleams of golden sunlight beam on thy 

waters blue, 
'Tis like a path of glory that opens to our view. 

Or when the pale moon glitters across the dark of 

night, 
Behold ! upon thy bosom a trail of silvery light. 

O ! beautiful Penobscot ! fair river deep and wide ! 
Maine's sturdy sons have reason to look on thee 
with pride. 

32 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



IN TUNE WITH NATURE. 

When fields are green and flowers deck the 

valleys, 
When every tree is jubilant with song ; 
When sunshine floods the earth with golden glory 
And skies of blue prevail the whole day long; 
'Tis then the heart is blithe as merry music, 
And every voice is lifted high in song. 

When skies are gray and earth is dull and dreary, 
When song of bird falls shrill upon the air ; 
When fields are brown and every tree is leafless, 
When barrenness and gloom are everywhere ; 
Ah ! then, how oft the singing turns to sighing, 
And what was mirth is now a plaintive air. 



33 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SUMMER. 

O ! who would wish for happier hours, 

Or more dehghtful pleasures, 
Than come when comes the Summer time 

With all its matchless treasures? 

The wondrous music of the woods, 

When birds are all asinging; 
The beauty of the meadow flowers 

That happy June keeps bringing. 

The fragrance of the new mown hay, 

That careless feet turn over ; 
The walk along some shady lane, 

Or through the fields of clover. 

The sweet refreshing smell of rain 

As daylight fast is leaving; 
The breath of yonder coming storm 

To cool the hours of evening. 

O ! who can part without a tear 
From Summer days of gladness ? 

Or who can say good-bye to June 
Without a tinge of sadness? 



34 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



GOD IN NATURE. 

The splendor of our Lord 
In Nature's works we see ; 

His riches are outpoured 
With lavish hand and free. 

He covers all the earth 

With beauty and with grace, 
And gems of countless worth 

He buries 'neath its face. 

All Nature seemeth fair 

When faith inspires the view. 

Naught with her can compare 
To charm our souls anew. 

The flowers of varied hue, 
All laden with perfume, 

Sparkle with morning due 

And show forth love in bloom. 

The tiniest blade that grows. 
The oak of mammoth height, 

Each tells how God bestows 
His gentleness and might. 

The mountains towering high, 
The vast expanse of sea. 

Had they but voice to cry, 
Would hail God's majesty. 

35 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



AUTUMN. 

The summer time has passed away 

And autumn days are here ; 
Most beautiful of all the days 

That crown the changing year. 

The grass upon the meadow-land 

Gleams with the frosted dew ; 
The trees have changed their garb of green 

For one of varied hue. 

It looks as if some fairy elf 

Had dipped his brush in gold, 
And. with a touch of magic power, 

His graceful art unrolled. 

The woods are dressed in crimson robes, 

Arranged with utmost care ; 
The hedges wind about the fields 

Like threads of scarlet rare. 

And not alone in brilliant tints 

Does autumn time abound ; 
But in its harvests, rich and sweet. 

With glorious fullness crowned. 

Soon will the autumn days go by, 
And earth shall once more stand. 

Bereft of all her beauteous charms 
By winter's blighting hand. 

36 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE WOODS IN SPRING. 

You hear the rustle of a wing, 

You hear the robin and bluebird sing, 

While loitering through the woods in spring. 

Refreshed by morning's sparkling dew 
The May flowers nod a welcome true, 
The Arbutus and the violet blue. 

The odor of the woods in spring 
Is such a sweet, delicious thing, 
'Tis perfume fit to please a king. 

By mossy bank and trickling stream 
You linger long, the while you seem 
Entranced by some delightful dream. 

The woods in spring, with verdure grown, 
Are like the ancient garden lone, 
Where God and Adam walked alone. 



37 



PART III. 
Zbc after Xife. 

If death is all, then tell me why 
This longing for the Bye-and-Bye. 



39 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE PILOT. 

The sea runs high ! 
A storm is nigh, 

And we are far from home : 
Night comes apace, 
And we must face 

The angry waves alone. 

Yet not alone 
Are they who own 

The Pilot from afar: 
A steersman he 
Who knows the sea 

Without a guiding star. 

And when at last 
The night is past, 

And storm and tempest cease ; 
With wind and tide 
We safely glide 

Into the port of peace. 



41 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



AT EVENTIDE. 

"Now, when the sun was setting, all they that had 
any sick with divers diseases brought them unto 
Him ; and He laid His hands on every one of them, 
and healed them." 

Yet once again 'tis eventide ; 

And in the western sky 
The glory of the sunset hour 

Suggests that God is nigh : 
And once again, O gracious Lord, 

Before the darkness fall. 
We bring our broken hearts to thee. 

For thou canst heal them all. 
Our stricken souls are faint indeed, 

B'or sin hath laid them low ; 
Our spirits cry to thee for life, 

Dear Lord ! the gift bestow ; 
And when life's sun at last shall set 

To rise on earth no more, 
The eventide shall bring us health, 

Through Him whom we adore. 



42 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE RAINBu ,V. 

There's a rainbow in the heavens, 
'Tis a promise from on high ; 

God's eternal goodness speaketh 
By this token in the sky. 

What a vast stupendous archway! 

Reaching far, from sea to sea ; 
Even so God's mercy stretcheth 

Over all eternity. 

After cloud and storm it cometh, 
When the sun breaks through the rift; 

Thus shall come a brighter glory 
When the gloom of death shall lift. 



43 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE NIGHT IS DARK. 

The night is dark, but soon will come the dawning 
When eyes long dimmed by sorrow's night 
Shall bathe at last in heaven's light. 

The way is long, but hath some day an ending, 
When aching brow and tired feet 
Shall refuge find, and safe retreat. 

The thorns are sharp, and hands are torn and 
bleeding. 
But soon the hour of pain will cease 
In God's eternal, quiet peace. 

The cross is huge, and 'neath it forms are bending, 
But future years shall lift its weight, 
It cannot pass the "Golden Gate." 

The storm is wild and human hearts are quaking; 
But life's rough sea will soon be crossed. 
And harbored safe the tempest-tossed. 

Death's hand is cold, but why this fearful dreading? 
His touch will but release the soul 
And set it free from earth's control. 



44 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. 

Today we are what we are 

Because of yesterday; 
For in the past we lay the plans 

For life today. 

What tomorrow we shall be 

Depends upon today ; 
For what we build of character 

Shall with us stay. 

And all the distant future, 

So dim and undiscerned, 
Tomorrow's life shall mould and shape 

Through truth we've learned. 

And so, the past and present, 
Shall with the future blend. 
To build for us a life that must 
All time transcend. 



45 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE ETERNAL MORN. 

After the sun has gone to rest, 

Faded the crimson in the west, 
After the night has passed away 
Cometh again the gleams of day, 
Telhng us hope is born. 

After the darkness, after the chill, 

After the hours when all is still 
Cometh a ray of golden light. 
Coming with life and power and might, 
Cometh again the morn. 

After a soul has gone to rest, 

Gone when the Lord shall deem it best, 
After the darkness, after the grave, 
After the crossing of Jordan's wave 
Cometh a better dawn. 

After the gloom of death is o'er. 

After we reach the distant shore. 
After the night has passed away 
Cometh again the gleams of day, 
Comes an eternal morn. 



46 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE DAY OF DAYS. 

If it were always morning, 

How glad our hearts would be ! 
With faces ever toward the east 
The rising sun to see. 

How happy would we count it, 

If, on our day of life. 
The noontide never found us 

A-wearying in the strife. 

And O ! the thought of sadness 

That ever comes to stun, 
When evening crowds around us 
E'er all our work is done. 

If it were always morning, 
How much our hands could do, 
As onward, still untiring, 
Life's labors we'd pursue. 

And so we wait the coming 
Of that bright Day of days, 

When night shall no more darken 
The Sun's eternal rays. 



47 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



HOME AT LAST. 

Travel-stained and weary, 

The pilgrim hastens on ; 
It may be that life's toil some day 

Has only just begun ; 
But in his heart is gladness, 

Though sky be overcast ; 
For he is traveling with the hope 

Of reaching home at last. 

Heavy-laden, footsore. 

He climbs the rugged ways ; 
Life's noontide sun is in the heavens 

And scorching are its rays ; 
But Hope her song is singing; 

Above the fiery blast 
He hears a voice that whispers low 

Of rest and home at last. 

Tired with the journey 

Yet still unmoved by pain, 
His face is ever toward the west 

Where peace and joy remain. 
Bright Hope is still his portion, 

The mile-stones all are past. 
The sun has almost gone to rest 

And home is near at last. 

48 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



Lifted are the burdens, 

The journey now is o'er; 
Though travel-stained and worn with care 

He's passed the open door; 
And friends from whom he parted 

Are to his bosom clasped, 
Their voices mingled in the song 

Of "Welcome home at last." 



49 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE TRAIL OF LIFE. 

Sometimes along the sunlit hills 

Where daylight lingers longest ; 
Where faith is firm and hope is bright 

And heart and hand are strongest ; 
Above the jarring notes of strife, 

That fill the world with sadness, 
The path leads upward, where the peaks 

Are crowned with joy and gladness. 

And sometimes down the vale of gloom 

Through mystic shadows winding; 
Where hang the heavy clouds of sin. 

The pilgrim's vision blinding ; 
Where faith is weak, and hope is dull, 

And heart and hand are failing ; 
Where those who journey fear lest night 

Shall find their spirits quailing. 

The trail along the sunlit hills 

Winds through earth's scenes of beauty, 
While all along the downward slope 

The traveler faces duty ; 
But whether upward to the heights 

Or down the vale of sorrow, 
The trail of life leads ever on 

To God's eternal morrow. 

50 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



IN THE HARBOR. 

When the boat comes into harbor, 

With its sails all tattered, 
With its storm-swept decks deserted. 

And the masts all shattered, 
Who is there will blame the captain, 

Though the cargo may be lost, 
If the crew but make the haven, 

And the angry sea be crossed ? 

When we reach the eternal harbor, 

By the tempest driven, 
Though within the sea has perished 

All that earth has given, 
Surely none will blame the Captain, 

When at last the storm shall cease. 
If, with cheerings, and with shoutings, 

We shall hail the Port of Peace. 



51 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE PILGRIM'S FRIEND. 

Death is but release from care and toil and sorrow ; 

The closing of a tiresome day — 
And rest upon the morrow. 

Death is only sleep^ after whose final waking 

A gladsome note of praise shall rise, 
Like songs when morn is breaking. 

Death is but a stream, across whose placid waters 

The voyager may safely sail 
With all earth's sons and daughters. 

'Tis the pilgrim's friend ; the last of all to leave 
him ; 
A silent friend, who never speaks 
An unkind word to grieve him. 

'Tis a road that winds through regions dark and 
dreary. 
But endeth where the dawning light 
Of Heaven is bright and cheery. 



52 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



GRIEVE NOT FOR ME. 

Grieve not for me when from this world departing, 
AJy spirit leaves its tenement of clay; 

But rest in hope that some time in the future 
We'll meet again, another happier day; 

So lift the weight of sadness from thy heart 

And utter no complaint when I depart. 

Grieve not for mfe when I have crossed the river, 
The boatman shall return from yonder shore, 

And some day thou shalt take the quiet journey, 
And bid farewell to earth forevermore ; 

While over there, with longing heart I'll wait 

To welcome thee, close by the Golden Gate. 



53 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



IMMORTALITY. 

And can it ever be 

That this is all of life? 
The weary toil, the aching brow, 

Till death the bitter strife? 
If this be true, then why remain 
To suffer one more pang of pain? 

And must we still believe 
That death is all supreme? 

That life shall lose itself at last 
In this dark, sullen stream? 

Then why eternal goodness crave, 

If there's no hope beyond the grave? 

And all the sacred ties 

That bind us heart to heart. 

Shall they be severed, once for all, 
When friends from earth depart? 

If so it be, then tell me, why 

This longing for the "bye and bye?" 

Ah. surely there must be 

A better life than this ; 
A life where nevermore shall end 

The measure of our bliss : 
Where nevermore shall come again 
The heart-ache and the fevered brain. 

54 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



HERE AND THERE. 

Here the sorrow and the sighing, 

There the joyful song of praise; 
Here the darkness and the dying. 

There the hfe through endless days, 
Here the cross of bitter anguish. 

There the crown with glory bright ; 
Here the cry of souls that languish, 

There the shoutings of delight. 

Here the good and e \ ii mingling. 

There the pure and undefiled ; 
Here the waywardness and sinning. 

There the spirit of the child, 
Here the wishing and the wondering. 

There to know as we are known ; 
Here the puzzling and the pondering. 

There to walk with God alone. 

Here the weariness of toiling, 

There the blessedness of rest; 
Here from danger oft recoiling. 

There the safety of the blest. 
Here the waiting and the longing. 

There to meet our loved and own ; 
Here the pilgrims homeward thronging. 

There the gathering 'round the throne. 

55 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



'TIS BEST TO THINK OF DAYS TO COME. 

'Tis best to think of days to come, 

Wherever they may find us, 
Than to recall the years gone by 

With all they may remind us. 

'Tis best to look with eager eye 

For gladness on the morrow. 
Than to complain of yesterday 

Because it brought thee sorrow. 

'Tis better far to sing with hope 

Than to despair in silence ; 
The grief that shuts thy spirit in 

Will do thee greater violence. 

The best of life is yet to come, 
When joy shall banish sorrow ; 

The western sky gives promise of 
A brighter day to-morrow. 



56 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE CHIMES OF HOPE. 

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" ! 

And is this all, or may I trust 

When over me these words are spoken — 

'Tis only that the bond is broken, 

Which held my captive spirit fast 

And chained me to the restless past? 

Then, whither shall my soul take flight — 
To regions dark or realms of light? 
Shall I go as a lonely stranger, 
Trembling before expected danger? 
Or, shall some wondrous Presence stand 
To greet me in the unknown land? 

Ah ! verily it must be so ! 
Else who is there would dare to go? 
Or who would ever face the morrow 
Without a fear nor trace of sorrow? 
Did not the chimes of Hope impart 
A note of gladness to each heart? 



57 



PART IV. 
^iecellaneoud. 

Nor this nor that is all of life, 
'Tis somewhat of a mixture, 

And like stray hairs upon the head 
No plan is quite a fixture. 



59 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE VALUE OF A SMILE. 

Smile, and the world will bless you; 

Frown, and its curse you bear; 
For the sad old earth will measure your worth 

By the countenance that you wear. 
Life has its gloom and sadness ; 

Escape it you may try in vain ; 
But a smile on your face will help to erase 

The lines of anguish and pain. 

Smile, and 'twill be reflected 

In the soul of each man you greet ; 
But a frown on your brow is repelling, somehow, 

And will cause even friends to retreat. 
There's a gleam of heavenly gladness 

In the smile of an honest face, 
And the gleam will last when the life is past, 

As a beacon light of grace. 

Smile, and your facial radiance 

Shall illumine the world's dark night ; 
For the spirit of cheer will hover near, 

When the fact is wreathed in light. 

Smile, and you win a welcome ; 

Frown, and the curse is there ; 
For the sad old earth will measure your worth 

By the countenance that you wear. 

6i 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE BEST DEEDS. 

The sweetest flower that ever grew 
Is not the rose or violet blue ; 
But, mayhap one of beauty shorn, 
Yet fragrant as the early morn. 

The brightest sun that ever shone 
In yonder blue of Heaven's dome. 
Is that which shines to give Earth light, 
But not to wither, scorch or blight. 

The happiest days we spend on earth 
Are not the days of giddy mirth : 
But those wherein we do some deed 
To help a brother in his need. 

The greatest acts that men perform. 
Are not the works of vain pride born ; 
But in some humble lowly state, 
The deed of love alone is great. 

The richest gains the soul counts o'er 
Are not the gains in earthly store; 
But those laid up in Heaven above. 
The richest treasures of our love. 

The jeweled crown that saints shall wear 
Is not bedecked with diamonds rare; 
But sparkles brighter than Earth's sun 
With loving deeds of duty done. 

62 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



FORGET THE PAST. 

(from the prose of LONOFtLLOW.) 

Forget the past, and bury in oblivion 
The memories of the days of yore : 

It comes not back, nor good nor evil bringing; 
The yesterdays return no more. 

To-day is thine; act in it well and wisely, 
Increasing now thy present store : 

Be thou alert, each golden hour improving, 
Else soon they pass the open door. 

And if good fortune spare thee till the morrow. 
Thy place be field or forge or mart. 

Go forth to meet that all uncertain future 
With courage and a manly heart. 



63 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSKS 



THE POWER OF THOUGHT. 

Strange product of the brain, 
What wondrous power is thine : 

For thou art not controlled 
By either place or time. 

We cannot barriers raise 
To check thee in thy flight, 

Through regions yet unktiown 
Thou roamest with delight. 

Sometimes through future years, 

Untrod by mortal man ; 
Through paths so undefined 

No mortal eye can scan. 

And sometimes through the past, 
Where memory lingers long. 

Back through the distant years 
That to the dead belong. 

How quickly thou dost fly 

Through realms of boundless space 
And in a moment's time 

The universe embrace. 



64 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



VERSICLES. 

Ye lads and lassies learn this truth 
And ne'er from it depart ; 

That he who would a conqueror be 
Must conquer first his heart. 



Although we fail so often in attaining, 
And never reach the goal of perfect life ; 

Remember this, the virtue is in striving. 
And rich reward comes after manly strife. 



Not more of knowledge that we need, 

Nor is it power to do; 
But most of all a willing mind 

To make our service true. 



Nor this, nor that, is all of life; 

'Tis somewhat of a mixture ; 
And like stray hairs upon the head. 

No plan is quite a fixture. 



65 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE GOSPEL OF GOOD CHEER. 

The man who thinks the world is wrong 

And feels forlorn and blue, 
Whose troubles rise like mountain peaks 

To hide the good from view ; 
I say that this man needs to learn 

The gospel of good cheer, 
And needs to know that Hope will bring 

A smile for every tear. 

For there's abundant happiness 

In this old world of ours ; 
The thorns may pierce your bleeding feet 

But yonder bloom the flowers ; 
And so I say to every man 

Who drinks the bitter cup, — 
Don't let your troubles keep you down, 

My brother, cheer thee up ! 



66 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



LOVE ETERNAL 

Love is the virtue and the grace 
That fits men for the greater place. 

Love hfts the burden, rights the wrong, 
And cheers the drooping heart with song. 

Love gives the best, and gives the most, 
Yet never of its ahns doth boast. 

Humility, gift from above, 

Is stamped on all the deeds of love. 

Love bears the sorrow, takes the blame, 
Despising all reproach and shame. 

Love seeks that others may obtain. 
And envieth not a brother's gain. 

Endures with patience earthly ills, 
And selfish clamorings promptly stills. 

Love faileth not ; all else shall fail 
And be forgotten as a tale ; 

But love shall evermore remain 

On earth, in heaven, the noblest strain. 

67 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE VICTOR. 



It matters not though you may fall 
And fail to hear the captain's call 

Amid the battle's din. 
Men cannot say that you have failed, 
Though in the dust your colors trailed, 

If you have fought to win. 

For he deserves the victor's wreath, 
Immortal as the gods bequeathe 

To all who conquer sin : 
If, struggling on with might and main, 
He counts not either loss or gain, 

But ever fights to win. 



68 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE BETTER WAY. 

It will pay you to be cheery, 

Rather than to wear the frown ; 
For the cheerful face is worthy 

Of the sceptre and the crown: 
For it makes the world the brighter, 

And it's surely worth one's while 
To relieve earth's darkened shadows 

With the brightness of a smile. 

You can speak the word of kindness 

To uplift the drooping heart ; 
For it takes no more of effort 

Than to speed the poisoned dart ; 
But what a vast and mighty difference, 

When we reckon things aright, 
Whether words in love are spoken 

Or in anger take their flight. 

You can do the deed of mercy 

With a willing hand and true ; 
Doing unto others daily 

As you'd have them do to you : 
Human hearts will fondly cherish 

Every act that meets their need 
And the world will be the better 

For the smile, the word, the deed. 
69 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE MONARCH. 

Love is a monarch 
Strong and bold, 

And rules o'er kingdoms 
Vast, untold. 

Not with a rod of 

Ancient mould. 
But with a scepter 

Wrought in gold. 

Not with a voice of 

Thunder tone, 
But with a stillness 

All his own. 

While other sovereigns 
Leave the throne, 

Love lives to conquer 
All alone. 

Ever before him 

Slaves are we, 
And in subjection 

Bend the knee. 



70 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



LEARN TO WAIT. 

Yes ! learn to wait ; 'tis easier far 
To crowd in where the workers are, 
Than to hold aloof or stand afar. 

'Tis easier, too, to fight along 
With soldiers who repel the wrong, 
Than to await the victor's song. 

'Tis hard to fold the hands and rest, 
With patient heart to stand the test, 
And feel that, after all, 'tis best. 

The hardest task is just to wait: 
To know that whether soon or late 
God plans the end, and not blind fate. 



71 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



WHEN LOVE IS THE HARPER. 

Deep down in the heart of each mortal that liveth 
Lie slumbering emotions, as yet all unstirred ; 

All dormant, yet ready to spring into action 
When reached and awakened by deed or by 
word. 

Sometimes with the force of an on-rushing 
torrent, 
That carries destruction and death in its path, 
The feelings once roused by the demon of hatred 
Stay not, till in vengeance they spend all their 
wrath. 

Sometimes, like the wail of a souj in its anguish, 
When chords have been touched by the dark 
hand of grief; 

While copious tears, flowing as from a fountain, 
Afford to the heart sweet and blessed relief. 

Sometimes, like the harp, in the hands of a harper, 
Whose strings, though once silent, sweet 
melody find ; 

Thus wakens the soul into music all glorious 
When love is the harper that touches mankind. 



72 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



DELAY NOT. 

Delay not this day's duty 

Until to-morrow's sun, 
But make each passing moment 

Complete in service done : 
The day is brief, and soon will fall 
The curtain of the night o'er all. 

Delay not ! for the morrow. 
If it should dawn for thee. 

Shall crowded be with duties, 
And so 'twill ever be ; 

What work to-day thou mayest shun 

Forever will remain undone. 

Delay not! for the future 

To thee is all unknown. 
And thou art only granted 

The present hour alone : 
Delay will mean for thee defeat. 
And death shall find thee incomplete. 



73 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE CALL OF LOVE. 

The sea was made for sailing, 
Then ho ! lads, to the sea ! ! 

The fields invite the ploughman, 
Then come and plough with me. 

But what's the use of sailing, 
If boats were made to row ; 

Or why should men be ploughing 
If grain were not to grow ! 

The roses waste their sweetness, 
If none there be who care 

To revel in the fragrance 
That's wafted on the air. 

The voice of love is calling 
Nor shall it call in vain : 

For hearts were made for loving, 
As clouds were made for rain. 



74 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



LIFE AND DEATH. 

'Twixt Life and Death, earth's ever silent rulers, 
Rank enmity exists and bitter strife ; 

And never do they pass a friendly greeting, 

For Death is fiendish when he meets with Life. 

Like some kind monarch Life rules o'er his own, 

'Till Death relentlessly assumes the throne. 

Life scatters hope, and rays of light and sunshine, 

And in his trail immortal flowers bloom; 
While envious Death, like some dark visaged mon- 
ster 
With outstretched wings, o'ershades the path with 
gloom ; 
And where Life planted flowers to adorn 
Death follows on with thistle and with thorn. 

Both young and old give Life their fondest service; 

They do his bidding as they come and go ; 
Thus would they serve him without stint or measure 

If left untrammeled by this fearful foe : 
But Death lurks near Life's subjects to annoy, 
To hinder, hamper, cripple and destroy. 

Some far-off day, or mayhap some day nearer, 
A song of triumph Nature's sons shall sing, 

75 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 

To find that in one long and final struggle 

Life vanquished Death, and robbed him of his 
sting : 
That Life has forced all powers in earth to yield 
And Death forevermore must quit the field. 



76 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



OPTIMISM. 

What care I for the howling storm, 

Or the tempest's furious blast? 
There's a shelter for me, somewhere, I know, 

'Till the storm be overpast. 

What care I though the darkness deep 

Covers the land and the sea? 
There's a gleam of light from the farther shore, 

That will light a path for me. 

And though the mists becloud the sky, 
And the earth seems sad and drear, 

I know that the sun will shine again 
With its warmth of life and cheer. 

And what if the daily cup of life 

Be sometimes filled with gall ; 
At the fount of bliss I'll forget my grief, 

And the bitterness of it all. 

Then rejoice my soul, and sing with glee, 

For the evil comes not to stay! 
And to-morrow the eyes shall beam with joy 

That are filled with tears to-day. 



77 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE MAN FOR THE TIMES. 

Give me the man who will act a man's part 

'Mid the strenuous battles of life ; 
Who will stand unmoved on the rock of truth 

'Gainst the threatening waves of strife. 

Whose heart has been tried by the fires of heaven; 

Whose soul from all fear has been freed ; 
The man whose religion is more than a form, 

And whose faith is more than a creed. 

Who will stand unswervingly for the right 
Though the multitude choose the wrong; 

Who cannot be lured by the glitter of gold 
Nor even the world's siren song. 

The man who can feel the strivings within 

Of a conscience that's easily stirred ; 
W4io never delays to answer the call 

When the voice of duty is heard. 

Who prizes his honor above all else, 

And serves till the day is done; 
Who never deserts in the hour of need, 

But fights till the battle is won. 



78 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



IN THE MORNING. 

If things look dark and dismal now — 
Just be a little patient, thou, 

And wait until the dawning. 
'Tis then the birds begin to sing, 
The shadows fade, and everything 

Seems brighter in the morning. 

If Life's hard problems seem to you 
A little more than you can do, 

Just take a kindly warning — 
Don't try to solve them in the night, 
For you've a chance to get them right 

By waiting 'till the morning. 

If there is some unpleasant work 
That you may seem inclined to shirk, 

This truth you should be learning — 
That many a task would easier be 
If you would wait 'till darkness flee, 

And do it in the morning. 

If at the close of day you feel 
A sort of languor o'er you steal, 

Just wait until the morning; 
For then you'll be as one refreshed. 
And ready, too, to stand the test 

Of labor in the morning. 

19 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



A RETROSPECTIVE 

When I look back across Life's way 

What sad regrets awaken, 
As I behold, through bitter tears, 

The path I should have taken. 

The thought of good I might have done 
The passing years have brought me, 

And unused opportunities 
A bitter lesson taught me. 

If I could but retrace my steps. 

And start at the beginning, 
I'd shun the road that led my feet 

To waywardness and sinning. 

And do the deeds that love requires. 

Forsaking virtue, never ; 
But what's the use of musing thus? 

The past is gone forever. 



80 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



ONE WOMAN'S LOVE. 

She loved him, yes, and loved him well, 
A man whose life was black as hell ; 

Ah ! surely love is blinded ! 
Else how could one so good as she 
Be drawn to one so vile as he, 

Or one so earthly minded. 

For she was pure as driven snow ; 
'Twas if an angel, bending low. 

Should stoop to kiss a devil, 
She may have thought that love would win; 
That love could lift him out of sin 

And raise him to her level. 

But now she knows 'twas all in vain ; 
And though her tears fall like the rain, 

Nor tears nor love can save him ; 
And while his friends are now but few, 
One thing remaineth ever true. 

The love that first she gave him. 



8i 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE GRIM DESTROYER. 

With hollow eyes and cheek of bone. 
With nerve of steel and heart of stone ; 
'Tis thus in fancy that we trace 
The grim Destroyer of the Race. 

With figure gaunt and features bold, 
With icy hand and fingers cold ; 
With whispered voice and silent tread 
He summons us to join the dead. 

With pallied brow and ghastly stare. 
With dampened locks of whitened hair ; 
He calls to us though life we crave 
To follow to the silent grave. 

Of pity he but little knows, 
And mercy scarcely ever shows ; 
Men cannot bribe him with their wealth 
Nor yet escape him by their stealth. 

Sometimes with hurried step and strong; 
Sometimes he tarries late and long ; 
But soon or late he visits all 
And shrouds in darkness great and small. 



82 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



EVIL VOICES. 

Be still, O heart of mine ! 

These strange confusing voices seem 
The counterpart of some wild dream, 

Within a haunted shrine. 

Yet all too real are they; 

And loud, and ever louder still, 
They call to rouse the conscious will 

Their dictates to obey. 

Now urging thee to do 

Some deed, by evil passion stirred, 
Foul, dark, like some uncleanly bird, 

That hides its prey from view. 

And now an act of shame ; 
The demons of a Hellish race 
Join hands to bring to thee disgrace, 

And smirch a virtuous name. 

Be still, O heart of mine ! 

And when the evil voices stir, 

Give thou no heed, lest thou should err, 
And miss the mark divine. 



83 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



A LOVE SONG. 

There was a maiden fair to see ; 
I knew she loved and loved but me; 
Yet she would always hide it. 

To have her pledge her love to me, 
I've failed, and failed most desperately, 
Though I have often tried it. 

For after all, my lad, the test 
Of human love is love confessed. 
In earth or heaven above you ; 

And so my heart doth ever yearn 
To have her tell me in return, 
"I love you, dear, I love you." 



84 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE SHADOWY LAND OF DREAMS. 

"Good night," we say, and then away 

To the shadowy land of dreams ; 
A nod and a wink, and before you can think 

You are there — at least so it seems. 

Such very strange things the memory brings 

Back from this mystical sphere. 
That sometimes we wonder, as we sit and ponder, 

Whether we've really been there. 

In this mystical land bewildered we stand. 

Enchanted by scenes of delight ; 
Its wonders excel all that tongue can tell, 

Its glories burst forth on our sight. 

'Tis not always so, for sometimes, you know, 

'Tis a horrible place indeed ; 
Such awful fright ! Such sorry plight ! 

With no one to help in our need. 

But not very long do we tarry among 

These changeable shadowy scenes ; 
For, with shudder and shake we're quickly awake. 

And vanish the land of our dreams. 



85 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



MOLLY K — 

Romping, teasing all the day, 
Such a girl is Molly K . 

Jolly face and full of fun, 

Wreathed in smiles from sun to sun. 

Happy as the day is long. 

Cheerful as a morning song ; 
Even though the skies be gray 
Nothing bothers Molly K . 

Always getting into scrapes, 

Scarcely anything escapes. 
If it's work instead of play 
You can count on Molly K . 



Carelessly she skips along. 
Worries not if things go wrong; 
When there seems to be delay 
Every one blames Molly K 

Kind, as everybody knows, 
Malice, rarely ever shows ; 
Anger does not with her stay, 
Even-tempered Molly K , 

Tender hearted, moved by love, 
Gentle as a white winged dove; 

86 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



Helping someone every day ; 
Blessings on our Molly K — 



Strangest mixture ever known ! 

Yet our Molly's not alone ; 

Everywhere your feet may stray 
You can find a Molly K . 



87 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



WAITING FOR THE FISH TO BITE. 

On the bank of some cool stream, 
Where the rippling waters seem 
To sparkle with a crystal sheen, 
Where the shady nooks invite, 
Here we sit from morn 'till night 
Waiting for the fish to bite. 

Even though the bait is fine, 
Oftentimes the fish decline 
To feed from ofi a hook and line ; 
So with patience we must wait. 
Till the nibbling at the bait 
Indicates poor finny's fate. 



88 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



HELEN — 

Ah ! yes, it is a pleasant task, 
Though difficult, this which you ask, 
The real Helen to unmask. 

Shall I say fair of feature, face? 
Nay ! nay ! the rather let me trace 
Diviner forms of love and grace. 

Beneath the outward and the seen 

A noble spirit, calm, serene. 

That hates the cowardly and mean. 

That loves the truth, and lives it, too, 

Despising aught that has to do 

With falsehood, or with things untrue. 

A well developed mind and strong. 
That stands like flint against the wrong. 
All heedless of the evil throng. 

Though she has suffered much, God knows, 
Yet with a cheerful face she goes 
To help to lighten others' woes. 

Unselfish in her every deed. 
With busy hands supplying need, 
The ministry of help her creed. 



89 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



WHEN LOVE RULES. 

What though the wintry days be cold, 
And winter's snow may fall? 

There's summer gladness in the heart 
When love rules over all. 

The night may be as dark as death, 

Its dreariness appall ; 
Hope for the morrow flames and burns 

When love rules over all. 

The world may be a silent place, 
With no sweet voice to call. 

But nature sings ten thousand tunes 
When love rules over all. 

And work is but a dreary drudge, 

And tired hands may fall ; 
But theres' no mean or common toil 

When love rules over all. 

'Tis love that gives the soul a joy 

Akin to that above ; 
For he's in tune with God and heaven 

Whose life is ruled by love. 



90 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



INQUISITIVENESS. 

TO W H. K. 

She's just a little brown-eyed girl, 

Who loves her dolls and books, 
'Tis hard to paint her picture here 

Or to describe her looks. 
She's neither very fat nor thin. 

Nor very short or tall ; 
Just like some other girls you know, 

Whose names you may recall. 

She's just like other girls because 

She always wants to know 
So much about the many things 

That puzzle grown folks so. 
She's asking questions all day long 

From early morn 'till dark. 
'Tis strange, indeed, she does not turn 

Into a question mark. 

And I'm afraid this little girl. 
The fault will ne'er outgrow ; 

For (let me whisper it to you). 
The grown-up girls are so ; 

And womankind wherever found 
Is very much the same, 

For they are born inquisitive, 
And "Mother Eve's" to blame. 

91 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 
WHEN WE WERE BOYS TOGETHER. 

TO MY BROTHERS. 

When we were boys together, 
In spite of wind and weather, 
No matter whether rain or shine — 
O ! hadn't we a jolly time ? 

When we were boys together 
Care weighed as light as feather ; 
There was no need to mope or whine 
For we had such a jolly time. 

When we were boys together 
The good old horse we'd tether ; 
We'd milk the cows and feed the swine, 
And then we'd have a jolly time. 

When we were boys together 
Our hearts were tough as leather ; 
For maiden fair we did not pine 
Because he had a jolly time. 

When we were boys together 
We fought, as boys will ever ; 
Their fault was, and sometimes mine, 
And yet we had a jolly time. 

Once more we're boys together, 
For time has failed to sever 
The hearts that 'round each other twine 
To give us still a jolly time. 
92 



PART V. 
IRcUstoug. 

Through the glass of earthly vision 
Things are dark and dimly traced, 

And the soul beholds its mission 
Only in the light of grace. 



93 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE PURE GARMENT. 

Over the earth is the winter's snow, 
Covering all that lies below, 
Covering many a foul, dark blot, 
Many a scarred, unsightly spot, 
Pure and white like a garment, spread 
Under the living, over the dead. 

Wouldst thou be pure as the whitened snow? 
Over thy soul must a garment go ; 
Covering that dark and foulsome thing. 
Covering thy guilt, covering thy sin ; 
Spread by the hand of the spotless One, 
Garment of faith in God's dear Son. 



95 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



TWO MEN. 

Up to the ancient shrine 

There went two men to pray, 
The one a boastful Pharisee, 

Who chiefly went to say 
How good he was, and pour 

Into Jehovah's ear 
A flood of empty words, and vain, 

Thinking that God would hear. 

The other trembling stood, 

Uncertain of his quest. 
His eyes toward heaven he dare not lift 

But smote upon his breast ; 
No virtue does he claim 

Nor deed of good recall, 
Enough for him that Mercy's gate 

May open at his call. 

Still at the modern shrine 

The two are found to-day ! 
The Pharisee and the Publican 

Who enter there to pray. 
The one is unforgiven, 

The other justified ; 
For mercy's gate is closed to all 

Who revel in their pride. 

96 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SUNSHINE AND SHADOW. 

Sunshine and shadow, 

Day after day ; 
Daylight and darkness, 

God's perfect way: 
Not all of sunshine, nor all of night; 
Each has its purpose ; God's way is right. 

Seasons of gladness 

Come to us all ; 
Sometimes dark shadows 

Around us fall : 
Life is a mixture of good and ill. 
And surely 'tis best, it is God's will. 

Not ours the choosing 

Of lot or place ; 
Ours the leaving of 

All to His grace : 
His perfect wisdom stands every test, 
And knows no failure ; God's plan is best. 



97 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



WE THANK THEE. 

For food and raiment, light and air, 
For all of nature's gifts so fair, 
For joy and gladness, everywhere, 
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee. 

For peace and plenty through the land, 
For homes unbroken by death's hand. 
For strength to finish as we planned. 
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee. 

For watchful care through the year, 
For shelter when the storm was near. 
For loving hearts and friendships dear, 
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee. 

For Mary's high exalted Son, 
For grace through Him the wrong to shun, 
For rest and home when earth is done, 
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee. 



98 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE DARKENED GLASS. 

Much of life in mist is shrouded 
And we only know in part, 

For with human reason clouded 
How shall God to man impart 

Truth eternal ; 

Truth to penetrate the heart. 

Through the glass of earthly vision 
Things are dark and dimly traced, 

And the soul beholds its mission 
Only in the light of grace : 

Light eternal, 

Streaming from the -Father's face. 

Problems of this life should therefore 
Urge our souls on God to call, 

As we ask the why and wherefore 
Of His purpose in it all : 

Wondrous purpose, 

Souls from error to recall. 

Come then, oh, thou great revealer, 

Open up the book divine 
And to every true believer 

Speak in tones of truth sublime : 
Speak to show us 

That our lives are part of thine. 

99 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



PERFECT PEACE. 

In perfect peace : Whose mind is staid 
On Thee shall never be afraid ; 
Whose faith Jehovah's might doth prove 
Cannot be harmed, cannot be moved. 

In perfect peace : Amid the rush 
Of Hfe to feel the sacred hush ; 
The deep repose, the quiet rest. 
Relief for all the care oppressed. 

In perfect peace : Content to dwell 
Within his love where all is well ; 
Content to place in His control 
The varied interests of the soul. 

In perfect peace — Nor chance nor change 
Can alter with God doth arrange, 
Time's ruthless hand may work its will, 
But God remains the sovereign still. 

In perfect peace : The tumult o'er. 
The haven reached, sin tossed no more. 
A place of refuge from the storm, 
Calm after strife, for darkness dawn. 

In perfect peace : Beneath His care 
It matters not if here or there; 
E'en through this earthly life shall cease 
Abideth still God's perfect peace. 
lOO 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



EMMANUEL. 

Let earth rejoice : Let all be glad who mourn ! 
Emmanuel, the Prince of peace is born. 

Wonder of wonders ; God in flesh revealed ! 
Emmanuel the covenant hath sealed. 

For ages past men sought for God in vain : 
Emmanuel hath rent the vail in twain. 

No more in sin, no more in darkness grope, 
Emmanuel the gates of Hght doth ope. 

Ye captives, bound in iron chains of vice, 
Emmanuel redeems through sacrifice. 

Weary of toil, — by countless duties pressed, 
Emmanuel now waits to give you rest. 

Heart-sick and sore, who find in earth no cure ; 
Emmanuel hath balm that's lasting, sure. 

Exiles from God, — all who afar may roam, 
Emmanuel has come to lead you home. 



lOI 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE WEB OF LIFE. 

Into the web of life 

Weave faith ; and thou shalt know 
The fabric fashioned by thy hands 

To wondrous strength shall grow. 

Weave in the threads of hope, 

And weave them through thy deeds; 
Their varying hues shall give to life 

The color that it needs. 

Into thy life weave love, 

Whose golden skeins alone 
Shall add a beauty and a charm, 

A lustre of their own. 

Weave faith and hope and love, 
These three ; and bye and bye, 
A rich design thou shalt create 
To please the Master's eye. 



102 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



PROCRASTINATION. 

The path of Christ runs by your door, 
Arouse, thee, then, and take it ! 

The road to evil seek no more,. 
Arouse, thee, and forsake it ! 

Plead not, like Felix, long ago, 

A more convenient season ; 
But search within thy soul to know, 

For this delay a reason. 

Say ! can it be that o'er thy life 
Some fair Drusilla bendeth? 

Fling from thee this unhallowed wife 
E'er mercy thou offendeth. 

For lo ! the preacher speaketh still 
Of judgment on the morrow : 

Accept the Christ ! delay not till 
The day is dark with sorrow. 

The path of Christ runs by your door, 
Oh ! hasten, brother, take it ! 

And leave the beaten way of sin. 
Oh ! hasten and forsake it. 



103 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE DIVINE HELPER. 

When sin has plunged my soul in gloom, 
When midnight comes instead of noon ; 
When on the verge of ruin vast, 
My heart cries out to Thee at last; 
Then, Jesus, speak my sins forgiven 
And light for me the way to heaven. 

When sorrow chafes my spirit sore, 
And grief comes to me o'er and o'er. 
When fear and doubt my heart oppress, 
And fill my life with deep distress ; 
Then, Saviour, drive away my fear 
And whisper to me words of cheer. 

When life is hard, and harder still 

The road that leads to Zion's hill ; 

When danger often near me lurks, 

Disaster, too, its havoc works ; 

Oh ! Lord of might, reach down Thine arm 

And save Thy servant from all harm. 

And when the messenger of death 
Shall close my eyes, and steal my breath ; 
When I shall bid my friends adieu, 
With earth receding from my view; 
Then, Jesus, Saviour, Mighty Lord, 
Thy promise and Thy power afford. 

104 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



A CHRISTMAS THOUGHT. 

Only a star in the eastern skies, 

Shining with holy light ; 
Only a star that the wise men saw 

As they gazed with eager sight. 

Only a song by the heavenly choir 
Chanted o'er Bethlehem's plain, 

"Glory to God" and "Peace upon earth," 
Re-echoes the glad refrain. 

Only a babe in a manger rude, 

A child in the cattle's stall ; 
Only a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 

Yet the Saviour of us all. 

Only the Christ of the long ago. 

Coming to Bethlehem town ; 
Only the Christ of the prophet's dream, 

The Messiah of great renown. 



los 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



A HUMAN CRY. 

If I should happen to lose my way 

In this world of sin and strife ; 
If, at the last, I shall fail to find 

The way of eternal life, — 
Then, pity me, God ! Thou Master of men, 
And grant me another chance again. 

For there are so many songs that lure 

My feet from the narrow way ; 
And the darkening shades of the night fall fast 

After the close of the day. 
O ! can I be lost 'neath a starless sky 
With no one to hear my despairing cry. 

The years of my life on the dial of time 

Go by like a swift-winged bird. 
And I soon shall stand at the judgment bar, 

I, who have so often erred ; 
Then, speak to me, God, O ! speak to me then. 
And grant me another chance again. 



106 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



IN HOC SIGNO VINCES! 

Not with the gleam of hehnets 
Nor flash of sword and shield. 

The armies of Jehovah 
Go forth to take the field. 

No roar of mighty cannon, 

No sound of clashing steel, 
No trampling out the life blood 

Beneath war's iron heel. 
No trail of human sorrow 

To mark the path of strife; 
No death or desolation 

To mar the peace of life. 

But in the name of Mercy 

His armies onward move, 
To teach to warring nations 

The brotherhood of Love. 
The sacred cross of Jesus 

On every banner fly. 
And "In Hoc Signo Vinces" 

Forever is the cry. 



107 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE CHRIST. 

He comes! The Christ expected long! 
The silent night is stirred by song 
Of "Peace on Earth, Good will to men," 
The lowly Christ of Bethlehem. 

We see the childhood life unfold, 

And soon we find in Temple old, 

With knowledge of God's wondrous ways, 

The faithful Christ of boyhood days. 

He taught men freedom to secure ; 
He preached the Gospel to the poor, 
Regardless of the Sceptic's frown — 
The fearless Christ of Nazareth town. 

His presence cheered the darkest night, 
And chased away all gloom and fright : 
His voice rebuked the angry sea — 
The Saviour Christ of Galilee. 

His days were spent in doing good; 
He healed, as only Saviour could, 
The sick and sore, the blind and lame — 
The Christ of wonder-working fame. 

He drank the cup of bitter woe 
Alone: because He loved us so; 

io8 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 

In garden still, what agony ! 
The lonely Christ of Gethsemane. 
His hfe was full of righteousness; 

And friend and foe as well confess 
"I find in Him no fault at all," 
The spotless Christ of Pilate's Hall. 

But hate and malice justice buy: 

The Son of God goes forth to die : 

He bears the cross through crowd and press, 

The silent Christ with scarlet dress. 

Come, now ! And gaze upon the cross ! 
See how for you He suffered loss! 
O! Hallowed cross! O! Sacred tree! 
The suffering Christ of Calvary. 

But death can never conquer life, 
For life will win in every strife : 
Death now from humankind is torn ; 
The risen Christ of Easter morn. 

He leaves the world, yet never leaves ; 
His spirit still to mankind cleaves : 
He bids us preach, lest men forget, 
The ascended Christ of Olivet. 

O! Blessed Christ! Whose presence means 

The glory of our fondest dreams ; 

The Christ who comes to earth again ; 

The changeless Christ who dwells with men. 

109 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



LIFE. 

Life is more than merely living 

The allotted time of men ; 
More than simply passing over 

A brief three-score years and ten. 
Life is something higher, holier, 

Than our low conceptions frame ; 
Something broader, something vaster, 

Something worthier of our aim. 

Life is something sweeter, nobler, 

Than the poet's song can tell ; 
Something more sublime and glorious 

Than the highest note can swell. 
Life is living ; life is loving ; 

Life is working hand and brain ; 
Life is learning, life is giving, 

Life is serving God and man. 



I 10 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



CONTENTMENT. 

Be thou content, within thy soul possessing 
The cahn and quiet of a hfe of trust ; 

Then art thou rich beyond the world's concep- 
tion. 
The sumptuous feast or solitary crust 

Are both alike to thee, if in thy quest 

Thou findest God, the highest and the best. 

Content to know, that in His wise provision, 
Nor great nor small escape His loving care; 

The lowliest souls from Him all good deriving, 
While kings and princes in His bounty share! 

Who looks to Him need have of want no fear; 
God's angel ministry is ever near. 

Be thou content. Like waves around thee surg- 
ing . 
The spirit of unrest pervades the air; 
Shut fast the door that guards thy soul's seclu- 
sion, 
And let no thought of worldliness be there: 
Whate'er to thee in wisdom may be sent 
Accept submissively, and be content. 



Ill 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



ALONE WITH GOD. 

Alone with God, at Jesus' feet. 
To learn His gracious will ; 

For in this safe and sure retreat 
The soul at once grows still. 

Alone with God ; far from the noise, 
The tumult and the strife ; 

'Tis here the soul must gain its poise, 
Its furnishings for life. 

Alone with God ; in secret prayer. 

With no disturbing voice ; 
The trusting heart finds refuge there 

And weary ones rejoice. 

Alone with God ; and out of touch 
With all the world holds dear; 

For in His presence, O, how much 
Of earth must disappear. 

Alone with God, yet not alone. 

For here all spirits meet ; 
And God, to all, himself makes known, 

In blest communion sweet. 



112 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



CONFIDENCE. 

When I know that God surrounds me, 
That His arms are wrapt around me, 

What have I to fear? 
While the voice of one that loves me 
Speaks from out the skies above me. 

Whispering words of cheer. 

Though the fiery furnace try me, 
Come the storm and tempest nigh me. 

These come but to test. 
When the Saviour stands beside me 
And beneath His wings I hide me, 

I can safely rest. 

When the way is all uncertain, 
Dark and heavy hangs the curtain, 

Veiling out the light ; 
Still the Father's loving kindness, 
Illuminating human blindness, 

Leadeth all aright. 



113 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE ONLY WAY. 

No other name to men is given 

Save this alone, 
The name of Him who for our sin 

Did once atone. 

One hand alone can give the touch 

Of saving power; 
Who feels the touch shall strength receive 
For every hour. 

One only path there is that leads 

To refuge sweet ; 
Who finds this way shall find at last 

A safe retreat. 



114 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



IS IT NOTHING TO YOU? 

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? 

Is it nothing that He, your Saviour, should die ? 

Comes there never a feeling 

Thy hearts' love revealing. 
As you gaze on the cross uplifted on high? 

Is it nothing to you, can redemption be bought 
At such marvelous cost, and yet be unsought? 

The Christ mutely pleading — 

And still all unheeding. 
Canst thou pass Him by without ever a thought? 

Is it nothing to you though the heavens should 

weep. 
And the heart of the Father its vigilance keep 
O'er a Son that is slain, 
Amid anguish and pain, 
Is it nothing to you? Does thy conscience still 
sleep? 

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? 
Does this soul-stirring question bring forth no 
reply? 

Can you still pass along 

With the unholy throng. 
With never a care for the Christ who is nigh ? 

J'5 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 

Is it nothing to you, oh, can it be true, 
That the sufferings of Christ have no meaning for 
you? 
Though your Saviour hath died, 
By your sins crucified. 
Is it nothing to you ? Is it nothing to you ? 



ii6 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE SOUL'S DESIRE. 

In the glow of early morning, 
At the waking of the day, 
How my soul for God is yearning 
With desires that come to stay. 

When at noon the sun is beaming 
With its rays of golden light, 
For its strength my heart is leaning 
On the bosom of His might. 

In the crimson glow of evening. 
When the world seems bathed in fire. 
Still for God my spirit breathing 
Finds in Him its great desire. 

In the midnight with its stillness 
When the hush is over all ; 
Rests my soul in God's great goodness, 
Waiting for the morning's call. 

All things else my soul now leaving, 
Craves naught but His gracious power, 
Whether morn, or noon, or evening, 
Or at midnight's darkest hour. 



117 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE REALMS OF FAITH. 



How little do we understand 

Of God and His mysterious ways ! 
The doings of His unseen hand 

Are shrouded in a misty maze. 
His dealings with us are so strange 

That sometimes in our doubts we ask — 
Why He, who all things doth arrange, 

Hath portioned us so hard a task? 

For life is hard, and oftentimes, 

When more than heavy seems the load, 
Our weary, over-burdened minds 

Are tortured as by sharpened goad ; 
Yes ! tortured with the painful thought. 

Thought of disordered brain begot, 
That God, our maker, who hath brought 

Us into being loves us not. 

For if He loves us, why does He 
Seem oft' to leave us all alone 

To grapple with life's mystery. 

Into such great proportions grown? 

What purpose can He have in view 
In veiling all His strange designs, 

ii8 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 

And shutting out from mortal view 
All knowledge of the mystic lines? 

O ! blinded reason stay thy power. 

Or thou wilt drive us to despair! 
The realms of faith above thee tower, 

Then haste, my soul, find shelter there ! 
'Tis there that thou shouldst ever turn. 

Believing in the Crucified, 
And soon shalt thou in fullness learn 

To trust Him, who for thee hast died. 



119 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



SILENT PRAYER. 

Hush every voice and every sound, 
Let noise and clamor cease ; 

Let silence dwell without, within, 
To bring its sweet release. 

Let not the faintest whispered breath 

Disturb the quietude, 
Nor even thought of worldliness 

This sacredness intrude. 

For while a soul communes with God, 

Let nothing enter there 
To bring confusion to the mind 

That waits on God in prayer. 

For what is prayer, but longing for 
The things of heavenly worth ; 

The spirit's flight, unseen, unheard, 
Up through the mists of earth. 

And what is prayer, but entrance way 

Into the heart of God ; 
The silent tread of burdened thought 

O'er paths by angels trod. 

The blending of divinity 
With human heart and kind, 

1 20 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 

The lifting of the human up 
Into the great Divine. 

If prayer be such a sacred thing, 

If God invites to prayer, 
Let it be wafted silently 

Like fragrance on the air. 



121 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



THE THOUGHT OF GOD. 

Some call thee God, Creator, Lord, 
And some the Great Unknown ; 

Jehovah, Mighty Spirit, Thou, 
The King upon the throne ; 

But as for me I would the rather 

Come to Thee and call Thee Father. 

Some think of Thee as final Judge 

With countenance severe. 
Before whose awful majesty 

The nations must appear; 
Bat let me not like many another 
Forget to think of Thee as Brother. 

Some know Thee only as a God 
With power to slay and kill ; 

A fierce, avenging Deity. 

Who works destruction still ; 

But O ! the great and wondrous favor 

To learn to know Thee as a Saviour. 



122 



UNPRETENTIOUS VERSES 



WATCHING OVER ALL 

In this busy world of action 

God is watching over all ; 
Emiiires vast and nations ruleth. 

Yet He notes the sparrow's fall. 

He it is that guides the planets 

As they roll through boundless space, 
His the hand that paints the lily, 

With its loveliness and grace. 

Drives the foam across the ocean. 

Gives the waves their mighty force, 
And with equal care and patience 

Marks the tiny streamlet's course. 

Fans the tempest into fury, 

Hurls the lightning from the sky. 

Yet as gently as a mother 

Stoops to hear an infant's cry. 

Hangs the sun within the heavens, 
That its light may blaze afar; 

With the taper of His glory 
Lighteth every twinkling star. 

Lifts the lofty towering mountains. 
Stretches out the restless sea ; 

Yet with tender love and mercy 
Watcheth over you and me. 

123 



DEC 22 1911 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



DFC 2« '9n 



ifip 

Si- 



